Batten-cleat



J. M. CROWE.

BATTEN CLEAT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. IL 1919- 1,332,324. I Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

1. M. CROWE.

BATTEN CLEAT. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 8,1919.

1,332,324. Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

, I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2' 21 for.

JOHN M. CROWE, 0F COVINGTON, KENTUCKY.

BATTEN-CLEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1920.

Application filed February 8, 1919. Serial No. 275,742.

To all whom it may concern:

.Be it known that 1, JOHN M. 'Cnown, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Covington, in the county of Kenton and State of Kentucky, have invente'd certain new and useful Improvements in Batten-Cleats, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to cleats or brackets which are adapted to be secured to the ribs of the hull of a vessel to support the cargo battens which line the hull on the inside, to prevent the cargo from coming in Contact with the sides of the vessel.

Suchcleats must be exceedingly strong, as they are subjected to very hard usage both in loading the vessel and while in transport, and heretofore sheet metal has been found too weak to stand the strains to which such cleats are subjected without being bent and distorted out of shape.

Batten cleats, therefore, have been for the most part constructed of cast metal. If these cast metal cleats are of a size not to be too cumbersome they are easily broken; and if constructed of such weight of metal as to be of sufficient strength, inasmuch as many thousands of these cleats are employed, a great deal of useless weight must be carried by the vessel.

' It is therefore my object to provide an exceedingly strong and durable cleat which may be formed out of a blank of sheet metal drawn and pressed into shape between dies, so that it may be fully reinforced at the points of strain, and while light in weight and cheap in manufacture, shall be practically indestructible.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating two of the cleats in use.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the blank from which the cleat is formed.

Figs. 3 and l are side and top views of the blank after the first drawing operation.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation after the formation of the bolt holes.

Figs. 6 and 7 are front and plan views of the completed cleat before rolling over the side flanges.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are front, side and top plan views of the completed cleat.

A blank of sheet metal is first cut in the shape shown in Fig. 2, with a main body portion 1, of a uniform width and decreasing in width until it merges in a lower portion 2, shorter in length but wider laterally than the main body portion. The blank is then stamped between dies, and a right angled bend f is formed, and at the same time the side edges of the body portion are turned outwardly to form side flanges 5, 5. These side flanges extend from the uppermost end of the blank to the base portion 2, forming a brace 3, 3, where the flanges 5, 5, merge into the base portion 2. In the subsequent operations as indicated in the drawings, a curve 6 is given the main body portion of the blank, andin'the final operation the edges of the side flanges are rolled over as shown at 10, 10, in Figs- 8 and 10. The ends of the base portion are also turned over to form flanges 9, 9, and during the dieing operations the bolt openings 7 and 8 are formed.

The cleat is then ready for use, and as many as may be needed are secured in proper position on the ribs of the vessel.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, these ribs 14: are usually of channel iron, and the claws or end flanges 9, 9, are engaged over the ribs as shown in Fig. 1, and the cleats are secured in place by bolts 12 through the opening 8 and through the flange of the rib.

The cargo battens 13, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, are then dropped in place and if desired they can be secured to the cleats by bolts passing through the openings 7.

A single bolt through the opening 8 secures the cleat in place, and the flanges 9, 9, grasp the sides of the rib and prevent the cleat from turning.

In this way I am able to furnish batten cleats which are practically indestructible, of very light weight, and which can be formed in a single piece from sheet metal blanks.

By forming the side flanges along the horizontal and vertical portions of the main body portion of the cleat, I provide a very strong and rigid construction, which is materially strengthened by the curvature given the main portion lengthwise and by the final curving inwardly of the side flanges.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to ters Patent, is

' l. A sheet metal batten cleat made from a single blank of sheet metal pressed into shape to provide a horizontal supporting portion, an upright portion to hold the batten, a depending portion to bear upon the rib of the vessel, said horizontal and upright portions being formed up in the shape of a channel of Which the flanges are rolled inwardly, and means for securing the cleat to the side supports of the vessel.

2. A sheet metal batten cleat made from a single blank of sheet metal pressed into shape to provide a horizontal supporting portion, an upright portion to hold the batten, a depending portion to bear upon the rib of the vessel, said horizontal and upright portions being formed up in the shape of a channel of which the flanges are rolled inwardly with claws on the depending portion to engage over the side edges of the vessel support, to prevent the cleat from turning, and a bolt to secure the cleat in place.

3. A sheet metal batten cleat made from a single blank of sheet metal pressed into shape to provide a horizontal supporting secure by Letportion, an upright portion to hold the batten, a depending portion to bear upon the rib of the vessel, said horizontal and upright portions being formed up in the shape of a channel of which the flanges are rolled inwardly, the upright portion for holding the batten being of a double ogee curve in cross section to add strength to the support, and means for securing the cleat to the side supports of the vessel.

4. A sheet metal batten cleat made from a single blank of sheet metal pressed into shape to provide a horizontal supporting portion, an upright portion to hold the batten, a depending portion to bear upon the rib of the vessel, said horizontal and upright portions being formed up in the shape of a channel of which the flanges are rolled inwardly with claws on the depending portion to engage over the side edges of the vessel support, to prevent the cleat from turning, and a bolt to secure the cleat in place, the upright portion for holding the batten being of a double ogee curve in cross section to add strength to the support, and means for securing the cleat to the side supports of the vessel.

JOHN M. CROWE. 

